THE CHEF FROM HELL

Goulash is a dish of Hungarian origin.  The name comes from the Hungarian word gulyas, which means "heardsman."  The Hungarian version of this dish is a spicy beef stew made with chunks of beef, onions, bell peppers and lots of paprika and served in a bowl.  The Americanized version usually substitutes ground beef which is seasoned with less paprika and is often served over a mound of noodles or mashed potatoes.  The recipe here combines elements from both preparation styles; I added a little rum to shake things up a little and the cooked corned beef to give it a nice extra layer of flavor.

"Hey honey, what's for dinner?" 

"Rumpot goulash, of course!"

Goulash always brings back memories of my college days in Dayton, Ohio.  There was this Polish fella named Stan Polanski who lived on the floor of my dorm.  His family was from Connecticut and goulash was one of his favorite foods.  Stan used to whip up goulash on a little hot plate in his room at least once a week.   The aroma of his cooking would waft down the corridors of the dormitory.  The only problem was that Stan used to get caught up watching tv (usually F-Troop or Hogan's Heroes) and he would end up burning his batch of goulash.  I'll always remember the crisp and "smoky" flavor of Stan's goulash!   

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

3 lb boneless Beef Chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 cups cooked Corned Beef, diced fine

2 Spanish Onions, chopped coarse

4 cloves fresh Garlic, diced fine

1 Green Bell Pepper; stem removed, seeded & chopped coarse

1 Red Bell Pepper; stem removed, seeded & chopped coarse

1/4 cup Captain Morgan's Rum

4 cups Beef Stock or Broth

Note:  For my beef stock recipe, go to Homestyle Beef Stock

1/2 cup Tomato Paste

Dry Spice Mix:

3 tsp Caraway Seeds

3 tsp Hungarian Paprika (it's much sweeter than the generic stuff)

2 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp cracked Black Pepper

2 tsp Dry Mustard

1/2 tsp Thyme

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

Cooking Procedure: 

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat

When the olive oil is warm, add the beef chuck

As it cooks, turn the meat to make sure it browns evenly on all sides

Once the meat is browned, use a slotted spoon to tranfer the meat to a mixing bowl

Set the meat aside

Reduce the heat under the pot to low & add the corned beef, onion, garlic, bell peppers and the dry spice mix

Stir well & cook this mixture down until the onions begin to turn clear

Add the rum & stir well

Return the beef chuck to the pot

Add the beef stock & tomato paste

Stir well

Cover the pot & simmer until the meat is tender; about 2 hours

When you are ready to serve, ladle some of the goulash over  mounds of warm, cooked egg noodles on individual plates

Braised carrots make a nice vegetable to serve with this dish

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